The Defence Ministry says that legal action has been instituted against five private security firms which carried out their operations without registration.

The Ministry, in its progress report submitted to Parliament recently, says that an awareness programme has been launched to educate the general public to alert the Ministry about the activities of unauthorised private security agencies.

The Ministry says that there were miscellaneous national implications due to the utilisation of various coloured uniforms, which were sometimes similar to the Army uniforms.

As a result, a uniform which has a unique identity was introduced on March 9, 2011 for the security officers in private security agencies in the country.
“At present the aforesaid uniform has been used by all the Private Security Agencies. Awareness programme have been launched through the media to inform the general public to report the information regarding the personnel those who carry out illegal Private Security Agencies. Accordingly legal actions have been taken against five institutions for those which have not registered under the Ministry of Defence,” the report says. (Kelum Bandara)